Interlocking wall joint construction



Oct. 17, 1939. M. B. TERRELL ,77

INTERLOGKING WALL JOINT CONSTRUCTION FiledvSept. 13, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet1 l I A 3 --J g I 7 i W 6 i /a 5 J I L 1 "1 Hg, 1 Hfy? I? 4 A? E /0 i 32 L I l E /a 4 i 3 F 1 INVENTOR. Ali/fan B. Trrs/l BY 14/1 X M ATTORNEY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

M. B. TERRELL Filed Sept. 13, 1937 INTERLOCKING WALL JOINT CONSTRUCTIONOct. 17, 1939.

Mi/fon B. Trral] Patented Oct. 17, 1939 U Ni'TEDj-STATES PATENT. orrlcsG WALL JOINT .CONrS'IBUCTIOK Milton n. Terrell, Columbus, OhioApplication September 13, 1937, Serial No. 183,583

' 4 Claims. (or. 20-92) The invention to be hereinafter described re-Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention, looklates to aninterlocking wall Joint construction. ing toward a wall from theoutside;

Lap-joints of many kinds and types, with one Fig. 2 is a like view, withjoint partly sepapart overlapping or underlapping another are rated;

well known. Dovetailed joints of many kinds Fig. 3 is a vertical lateralcross section, looking 6 are widely known. Simpleinterfltting, compleinthe direction of the arrows 3-3; mentary or match joints are universallyused. Fig. 4 is a like view on the same line, but look- They frequentlyappear in imitation brick or ing in the opposite direction, as indicatedby the stone or similar surfaces-f As heretofore conarrows 4-4;

structed, these joints have not been self sus- Fig. 5 is a view similarto Fig. l, but of the op- 10 taining against pressures on one face orthe other posite side or face of the invention; and, of a wall but,.instead, required strong backing Fig. 6 is a view showing a section ofwall built or support, as well as securing means, or they with theinvention. have been subject to leaks, or they have been In the drawingsthe entire wall body is shown complicated and difficult to assemble orto mainbuilt from the units of this invention. It will 1 tain in shape,or they have been of special conbe understood that the invention isequally apstruction. They have more generally been used plicable forwall surfacing, such as veneering or as veneers and similar surfacingwork, requirthe like and applied to either surface of a wall.

ing a foundation, backing or support. The joint selected forillustration of the in- The mainobjects of the present invention arevention is made from plastic material similar to 90 to overcome theabove and other drawbacks and that used in making composition roofingand is provide a wall joint of simple, efficient, econommolded underpressure to the form and size deical construction which may be easilymade as sired. The joint is formed partly on one unit parts of a unit orunits of standard dimensions, and partly on another. In other words,male as well as of units of other dimensions for a and female orcomplementary joint elements are 25 wall, partition or the like whichmay be easily formed on adjacent edges or ends of adjoining and quicklyerected and as readily dismantled units. Accordingly, production andassembly are and yet, when erected, will be weather proof, greatlysimplified by making each unit I with securely interlocked andthoroughly self sustainjoint members at op s e ds, those at One end ingat all joints. It provides a complete wall being male and those at theopposite end being 30 body including the surface. It may, of course,female, or those at one end being complementary be made as a surface orveneer and attached to to those at the other end. Therefore, every unita wall body. so made will have a joint element at each end The units orelements carrying the joint memxactly complementary to a c pe joint hersmay be of any tm m and, of element on the opposite end of every othersuch 35 course, f any material desired They may be unit. The units maybe perfectly plain or may f stone, wood, concrete, metal, plastic compobe given any desired decorative surface such as Simon, etc" and they mayImpressed stamped, imitation brick or stone, etc. for simplicity, thatcut, molded or otherwise made; :elegtedl in the drawings and descriptionis per- 40 ec y p a n. preterm; method of mafnumcture is by constitutingthe joint are four or more tongues pressing or molding underconsiderable pressure 2 two or more extending from the end of each fromplastic material such as is used in the makof two cooperatin units. Asfar as the oint, mg of What is generally known as compositlon itself, isconcerne to make the units full; oo-

5 BY Such method, the units may be operative with all other units of theinvention, produced in large quantities and of any desired orinterchangeable fou tongues are necessary, t c e Within considerablelimitstwo on each end, providing fully complementary In order to moreclearly disclose the construcjoint parts on opposite ends of all units.When tion, operation and use of the invention, referassembled, onetongue of each 'joint lies between once should be had to theaccompanying drawthe two tongues of the respective other unit joint 50ings forming part of the present application. part and occupies theintervening recess or Throughout the several figures of the drawingstongue socket, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. like referencecharacters designate the same With interchangeable units each having twoparts in the several views.- tongues at each end with an interveningtongue s min drawings: recess or socket, the inner tongue or that re- 5its unit to the outer edge. tongues and cooperating parts may be usedfor each joint but are not necessary. Each tongue of the male jointelement of a unit is provided with an underlapping lip 3 extending thefull length of the respective tongue and across the greater part of thewidth of the free end of the tongue. The width of this lip should besumcient to provide adequate joint bearing area and completeweatherproof seal against leakage and wind, but may be varied within the.limits of those requirements. The short branch terminates inwardly ofits tongue edge a distance equal '90 to the width of a lip, leaving alongitudinal overlap-lip 4 of each 'male element tongue, extending thefull length of the tongue. This lip 4 is in a plane offset from butparallel to the lip 3, the offset being just equal to the lip thickness.Consequently, lip 4 may be considered asa shoulder, or the tongue may beconsidered as channeled longitudinally to receive the cooperatinglongitudinally extending underlapping up 5 of the female joint elementwhich lip is of .the same dimensions as the channel. Cooperating witheach longitudinal portion of the underlap lip 3 is a corresponding orcomplementary overlappin lip 4 of a tongue of the female member. larlycooperating with short branch I of each underlap lip 3 is acomplementary overlap lip 8 of corresponding dimensions. There are twosuch underlap lips I at the outer or free ends of the tongues of themale members and two at the inner ends of thetongues, one extendingbetween tongues and the other from the upper tongue to the edge of theunit. For convenience they may be referred to as outer lips. I and innerlips 9. Cooperating with underlap lips 9 are cor responding andcomplementary overlap lips II of the same dimensions and carried by theouter free ends of the female tongues.

The full length of the top edge of each unit is provided with anunderlap lip II and the full length of the bottom edge with acorresponding overlap lip I! so that, when assembled in place, thebottom edge of one unit overlaps the top edge of the unit immediatelybelow. The lip ll may be provided with nail holes i3, at intervals fornailing the units to suitable frame members. The lip l2 completelycovers any such securing devices and, at the same time, makes a weathertight joint.

As stated above in connection with lip 4, the overlapping parts may beconsidered as shoul- 00 ders, or it may be considered that therespective unit ends are provided with recesses, or channels ofcorresponding dimensions.

It will be noticed that the male joint element comprises two parallelspaced, approximately Z- 68 shaped continuous underlap lips each havingsections or portions 3, I and 9. Between the inner end of one Z and theouter end of the other extends the longitudinal overlap lip 4 of themale tongue. It will also be noticed that the female 70 joint elementcomprises two parallel, spaced approximately Z-shaped continuous overlaplips, shoulders, recesses or channels, each having the portions 6, 8 orI0. They are also parallel to the underlap Z-lips. Between the inner endof one 74 z and the outer end of the other extends the More than fourlongitudinal underlap up I parallel with overlap lip 4. The severallips, preferably, are of about one-half the thickness of the-units. asshown-in Figs. 3 and 4. The underlap Z-lips of the male element are onone face of the block while the 5 cooperating, complementary,overlapZ-lips are on the opposite face. Notice, however, that theintervening overlap lip 4 of the male joint element is on the faceopposite to that of its l-lips and that the intervening underlap lip Iof the female 10 joint element is on the face opposite to that of itsZ-lips.

Refer to Fig. 2. If either the overlap lip 4 or the underlap lip 5should be omitted there would be no joint interlock between the units.15,

The tongues could'be moved perpendicularly to the faces of the units andcompletely out ofalinement. In fact, without those parts in thatrelation there would be merely an interflt or matching.

, I I to By arranging the pair of Z-lips of the male 'loint element insubstantial alinement with thou of the female joint element'butonparallel planes. such that, when assembled, theinne'r faces lie one onthe other, the Joint may. be easily and'zs quickly slipped together orseparated in erecting or tearing down a wall. And when slipped together,the surfaces at the Joint will be smooth and flush. The wall face willbe perfectly smooth and even, inside and out. By reversing the positionsof the cooperating intervening lips (and 5, relatively to that of thepairs of Z-lips, a perfect lock-joint results. En-

gagement between Z-lips of the male joint element and the Z-lips of thefemale joint element as prevents movement perpendicularly to the face ofthe units in one direction, while engagement between lips 4 and 5prevents it in the opposite direction. That same engagement of thevarious cooperating lips provides a simple, efllcient and 40 smoothworkingguide in sliding the parts together or apart. The wholecombination provides a sliding key-lock absolutely preventing'separationof the joint in any direction except in the giirrection of the length ofthe tongues of the 45 Refer to Figs. 1 and 2. when this Joint isassembled or closed, as in Fig. 1, the lips completely overlap. TheJoint, shown in full lines in Fig. 1, extends only half way through theunit. At 5 half way, the joint is overlapped by the underlying lips 3,5, l and 9. This completely seals the joint against all wind or rain. Inthe same way, the top underlap completelyblocks ofl and seals the jointbetween the bottom edge of the 55 bottom overlap lip l2 and the innertop edge of the units immediately below. The same overlap completelycovers all nail holes through jlip ii.

The joint is rigid and strongly resistant in all directionsperpendicular to either face of the no unit. A wall from such assembledunits requires only a skeleton frame to nail to.- It requires nosurfacing, either inside or out. A complete building may be quickly putup by simply erecting the skeleton framework and then assembling theseunits and nailing in place. And once up it will. be found durable andlasting.

It is thought that the construction, operation and use of the inventionwill be clear from the preceding detailed description. 7

Many changes may be made in the construction, arrangement anddisposition of the various parts'of the invention within the scope ofthe appended claims and it is meant to include all such within thisapplication wherein only one preferred form of the invention has beenshown by way of illustration and with no thought of in any degreelimiting the claims by any such showing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. A wall joint unit having formed on each end two spaced tongues, onetongue at each end of each unit being adapted to fit into thecorresponding recess between two tongues on the end of another unit,both tongues on each end of each unit being provided with engaging lipsalong opposite .edges, the lips along corresponding tongue edges beingdirected oppositely to those along the remaining edges relatively to thefaces of the unit and the lips of both tongues at one end of one unit,in assembled relation, interengaging the lips of both tongues at one endof a cooperating unit, one pair of interengaging lips being disposedintermediate of two other pairs, each lip of said intermediate pairbeing directed oppositely to the other and oppositely to both otherinterengaging lips of the tongues of the same respective unit endwhereby, in assembled relation, said units resist forces applied towardeither face and maintain interlocked relation until destruction of thejoint,

2. A wall joint unit having formed on each end two spaced tongues, onetongue at each end of each unit being adapted to fit into thecorresponding recess between two tongues on the end of another unit,both tongues on each end of each unit being provided with continuouslyextending joint sealing engaging lips along opposite edges, the lipsalong corresponding tongue edges being directed oppositely to thosealong the remaining edges, relatively to the faces of the unit, and thelips of both tongues at one end of one unit, in

assembled relation, interengaging the lips of both tongues at one end ofa cooperating unit, one pair of interengaging lips being disposedintermediate of the two other pairs, each lip of said intermediate pairbeing directed oppositely to the other and oppositely to both otherinterengaging lips of the tongues of the same unit end, whereby, inassembled relation, said units resist forces applied toward either faceand maintain interlocked relation until destruction of the joint, andmaintain a weather proof joint.

3. A wall joint unit having formed on each end two spaced tongues, onetongue at each end of each unit being adapted to fit into thecorresponding recess between two tongues on the end of another unit,both tongues at each end of each unit being provided with continuouslyextending joint sealing engaging lips along opposite edges and acrossthe free ends, said units having similar continuous joint sealingengaging lips across the inner ends of said recesses, the lips alongcorresponding tongue edges being directed oppositely to those along theremaining edges relatively to the faces of the unit and the lips of bothtongues at one end of one unit, in assembled relation, interengaging thelips of both tongues at one end of a cooperating unit, one pair ofinterengaging lips being disposed intermediate of the two other pairs,each lip of said intermediate pair being directed oppositely to theother and oppositely to both other interengaging lips of the tongues ofthe same unit end, whereby, in assembled relation, said units resistforces applied toward either face and maintain interlocked relationuntil destruction of the joint, and maintain a weather proof joint.

4. A wall joint unit having formed on each end two spaced tongues, onetongue at each end of each unit being adapted to fit into thecorresponding recess between two tongues on the end of another unit,both tongues on each end of each unit being provided with engaging lipsalong opposite edges, said lips having approximately one half thethickness of the respective unit end and having their engaging faces inplanes parallel with the faces of the unit and approximately midwaytherebetween, the lips along corresponding tongue edges being directedoppositely to those along the remaining edges relatively to the facesofthe unit and the lips of both tongues at one end of one unit, inassembled relation, interengaging the lips of both tongues at one end ofa corresponding unit and all tongues lying flush with the respectivesurface of the assembled joint, one pair of interengaging lips beingdisposed intermediate of two other pairs, each lip of said intermediatepair being directed oppositely to the other and oppositely to bothinterengaging lips of the tongues of the same unit end whereby, inassembled relation, said units resist forces applied toward either faceand maintain interlocked relation until destruction of the joint, andpresent a smooth flush surface over the assembled joint.

MILTON B. 'I'ERREIL.

